I’m not going to blabber on and on today. I’ll keep it short and simple. I’m taking almost the entire day off here. I’ve earned it. I’ve worked extremely hard since the beginning of December here. I’ve worked myself to the point of pain and exhaustion. However I’m beyond thankful that I’ve been able to do that. With the way the job market and economy is right now, I’ve been truly lucky and blessed to have work to DO.

So today, I will wrap up invoicing, and a logo design and then enjoy a day of change. I’m going to watch the Inauguration. I’m going to pick my kids up from school. I’m going to enjoy dinner with my family and spend time with them tonight. I’m going to draw in my sketchbook. And above all, I’m going to enjoy what it is to be an American today. I’m going to enjoy what it is to be able to LIVE the dream that is the American dream. And above all, I’m going to enjoy a refreshing change of pace in my schedule- a day off! I hope you are lucky enough to do the same.

Was a long day yesterday. Took my daughter to get her braces on yesterday morning. It was probably the LEAST stressful appointment I’ve ever taken her to for anything. She did a really good job of not getting too worked up, and she seems to be taking the right approach to getting braces. She likes them, and isn’t all upset about having to get them either, which is a good attitude to have considering she has to wear them for almost 2 years She toughed it out at school yesterday, and is still a little sore today as well, but she’s doing a good job handling it, and I’m proud of her.

It was a late night last night. Went to see the MSU/N. Carolina game at Ford Field with my son and his friend and his dad and brothers. Was a good time, and the kids had a blast. MSU got TRUCKED by 35 points, and they embarrassed Detroit, the auto industry, MSU and the LIONS on ESPN this morning when they played the highlights of the game, but the kids enjoyed going and staying up so late on a school night. My son was dragging this morning heading to school, and I won’t lie, I’M tired myself this morning too. I took some pictures, and shot a couple of short videos as well.

I finished a painting commission yesterday that I’ve had for a couple of weeks, and it turned out good I think. I’ve got 4 days less to finish my Grimm Fairy Tales annual here, but I’m DONE with prior commitments and stuff now until I’m finished with the book, so I’m looking to knock pages out like nobodys business the next week here. Then I have 6 pages left to finish up issue 3 of Take a Chance, then I MIGHT be tackling Grimm Fairy Tales issue 35 before the end of the year as well. So things are definitely busy on the work front. Somewhere in there, I have to find time to take the kids xmas shopping for their mom too.

I need another pot of coffee today for sure, and maybe another piece of the AWESOME peanut butter/chocolate fudge my wife made. mmmm, mmmmm good!!!!

not much today. haven’t slept well the last few days, not sure why. surprisingly I’m not a complete jerk because of it.

I’ve been ecstatic with the work I’ve been doing both coloring and painting the last 2 weeks. I seem to have found whatever it was that I had lost that was sucking my energy and life out of my work. Maybe I’m just over being burnt out and that’s it, but whatever happened it was a welcome relief. I’ve always struggled with confidence. I think that might be starting to correct itself, and perhaps the biggest difference in my work is that I’m just more confident, or less scared of my own instincts, and that is the thing that has been showing up visibly in my work. Interesting to think about, being 32 and STILL not being completely confident in my abilities. Strange how life works, I think THAT is safe to say for sure.

a TON, an absolute TON of loose ends to tie up the next 2 days. Hope to have everything down to just manageable by next Monday. Going to be a long weekend. Really hoping that the planets align and the last check that I’ve been waiting on from a company that was due in September finally shows up tomorrow or at the latest on Monday. Was in the mail yesterday I guess, so that is a big improvement from where things have been at the least.

alright, time to throw myself back into some pages today and get lost for a while in them. I’ve decided that, being the huge classical music guy that I am, Fridays and Mondays are the best days of the week for that type of music. I think my favorite classical station right now is WCPE from the iTunes radio section. Not too much talking, or commercials, and a great variety of composers and orchestras as well. ah….Fridays.

this week has felt almost like a soap opera in some ways. today, took the wife into the ER this morning because she was slumped at her desk crying with a headache when I got back from dropping the kids off at school. Was not a good thing to witness. She barely ever cries, so I knew it was pretty bad. After much diagnosis and stuff there, they finally hooked her up to an IV and got some pain medication into her to help out. she SAYS she’s doing much better, she ran my son up to guitar practice for a half hour today. We’ll see. I just got dinner going here, and I have 3 pages to color today. 11 pages done at the end of today, half a book in 3 days. I do indeed love this new Cintiq because I think it really IS making me faster and better.

In related drama, mortgage is due next week, and medical bills and all SORTS of other stuff the week after that, and I’m HOPING HARD that my next check will be here before then. In fact, I pretty much need my next check to come about a week after this one gets here. I definitely need to get some more funds in here before the 10th of March, or I just won’t be able to go to Wizard World LA on the 13th. It seems like a long way off, but I’m going to be hunkered down here for at least 3 weeks working on 2 books that are both due next month. So before I know it, it’s going to be the 2nd week of March I think. ugh.

I’ve put the kids on notice today as well, on the way back from picking them up from school. ANY sort of crap behavior, arguing, fighting, bickering, complaining, that they’ve been doing for the last few days, will NOT be tolerated the rest of the week. Usually they get a warning and a chance to correct whatever they’re doing. Not right now, I’m just too stressed to deal. So they’ve been told that ANYTHING that they know they shouldn’t be doing, is landing them in their bedrooms grounded for a week. I don’t have time or patience anymore this week to deal with it. So we’ll see how much fun THAT is the next couple days. K, fast typing aside, I’ve spent almost 5 minutes on this post, time to find my energy pack and get to work!